šŸŽµ How Good Are They Really šŸŽµ The Hold Steady

Had this same thing with Animal Collective

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I kind of struggle to see this, as heā€™s usually narrating either in character or as a third party watching the action happen around him - heā€™s almost never the focus of the song.

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Really wanted to like the Tiny Changes album but I think the Twilight Sad cover is the only one I like

Think there was a weird cover of Bright Pink Bookmark that I remember being interesting as well actually but thatā€™s about it, sadly

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Great band, straight up 5.

I think what separates them from other classic rock band is Finn. Itā€™s his delivery that he spits out and the lyrics and the way he weaves the same characters and references into the songs and repeating lyric lines that crop up throughout them that creates a real tangible world and itā€™s really fun as a fan when you start to pick up on them. Heā€™s a great unreliable narrator and teller of tall tales.

I can see if youā€™re not a lyrics person you might not get much from them but if you are and give them time thereā€™s something really special.

Also 5 for Lifter Puller for the same reasons, and If you donā€™t like the Hold Steady cos of the classic rock them they might work a bit better for you.

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Ahhh I love em. Got into them with Stay Positive and rinsed that then was delighted to go back and discover their older albums were even better. Been lucky enough to go to two of the big London shows and also see Craig do a solo show in King Tutā€™s, all excellent.

I just love the world created by the narratives from the songs and how they all link together throughout their discography. Helps that theyā€™re all brilliant to sing/shout along to.

5/5

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I mean heā€™s not singing autobiographically or from wish fulfilment, heā€™s a story teller writing about characters.

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When this all comes together, oh man

Actually sort of hate how hard this works on me, itā€™s so simple but it just puts all the hairs on my arms up. Just super-well-executed rock dynamics mostly.

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Magnetic Fields for me.

Weirdly I find this to be an offputting aspect of them at times.
Can sometimes seem too overly self referential and meta and just a wee bit smug.

bizarrely this is the song over credits of the straight to DVD sequel to The Lost Boys. It was the best part of that waste of time (and hilariously unexpected - doesnā€™tā€™ fit the tone at all).

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Same. Raved about by so many people I know and trust musically, but just found them really dull whenever iā€™ve listened to them. Iā€™m not a fan of Springsteen as it is, so there worship of him was never going to go down well with me anyway. 1.

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tbf you can write characters that still reflect you wants/desires/views etc.

not that I agree with Woodchuck, just donā€™t think being a storytelling song-writer undermines their point that much

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this is a great one from Passion, love their sound combined with the bursts of brass

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always felt it was a shame this one was buried in that 3 song bonus track at the end of stay positive. Love the brass.

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Waitā€¦ I may be thinking of Gaslight Anthem with the Springsteen love off. Either way, what iā€™ve heard of this lot didnā€™t do much for me.

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Sure, but

  1. I donā€™t see that happening here, I donā€™t think Craig Finn has a secret desire to be involved with small time gangsters and drug scenes in St Paul. I said I donā€™t think itā€™s wish fulfilment.

  2. I canā€™t see any evidence of what is being mentioned in that post in his songs anyway

Gaslight Anthem are The Killers in disguise

Me too!

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Brilliant song!!

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Yes, but also at the same time quite silly!!